In every Confederacy of States, formed for their general
benefit and security, there ought to be a power to oblige
the parties to furnish their respective quotas without the
possibility of neglect or evasion;--there is no such clause
in the present Confederation, and it is therefore without
this indispensable security. Experience justifies me in asserting
that we may detail as minutely as we can, the duties of
the States, but unless they are assured that these duties will
be required and enforced, the details will be regarded as
nugatory. No Government has more severely felt the want
of a coercive Power than the United States; for want of it
the principles of the Confederation have been neglected
with impunity in the hour of the most pressing necessity,
and at the imminent hazard of its existence: Nor are we to
expect they will be more attentive in future. Unless there
is a compelling principle in the Confederacy, there must
be an injustice in its tendency; It will expose an unequal
proportion of the strength and resources of some of the
States, to the hazard of war in defence of the rest--the
first principles of Justice direct that this danger should be
provided against--many of the States have certainly shewn
a disposition to evade a performance of their Federal Duties,
and throw the burden of Government upon their
neighbors. It is against this shameful evasion in the delinquent,
this forced assumption in the more attentive, I wish
to provide, and they ought to be guarded against by every
means in our power. Unless this power of coercion is infused,
and exercised when necessary, the States will most
assuredly neglect their duties. The consequence is either a
dissolution of the Union, or an unreasonable sacrifice by
those who are disposed to support and maintain it.